1. Title, director and release year? World in the Balance: China Revs Up, Chris Schmidt, 2004
2. What is the central argument or narrative of the film?
This film argues that China’s economic growth since the 1970s has occurred with little regard for the environment. According to “China Revs Up,” China’s economy currently grows 8% every year. One of their biggest industries is steel production and 75% of the energy they use comes from coal. However, there are no standards in place to regulate the emissions from coal or their growing fleet of cars. The main argument of the film is that China has developed at a fast rate and its environmental legislation and incorporation of new and cleaner technologies has not kept up. Economist Simon Kuznet has predicted that uncontrolled emission often accompany economic growth before becoming controlled. Even if China grows to the point that they are able to control their emissions, the way that they will achieve such a reduction is unknown.
3. What sustainability problems does the film draw out?
-China's Conversion to Cars: Although China could adopt stricter car emission standards, the infrastructure for cars is already in place and is a problem in itself. China has established highways and converted to an automobile culture. I found this conversion to be one of the most fascinating parts of the film. When faced with the decision to purchase a personal vehicle or continue riding bikes, citizens are now biased towards the personal vehicle. In China the car is being elevated to the same status that it holds in America; it is becoming a symbol of success, independence, and freedom. One Chinese family reasoned that they are considering converting from bike to car because the bus is too crowded, it’s too cold to bicycle in the winter, and they feel it is too dangerous to drive their daughter around on a bike. There were no reasons given as to why 4x4 clubs are becoming more popular in China. “China Revs Up” argues that more Chinese families don’t need to convert to a car because the roads are becoming overcrowded and more importantly, “by 2030 China could match U.S. in CO2 emissions.” Chinese cars produce more pollution because of their antiquated methods of production and emission controls
-Trade off Between Poverty & Progress: China’s increased emissions and environmental problems resulted after China’s leader implemented birth control legislation and stimulated the economy and steel industry. Placing environmental standards on factory emissions can often close the factory and put people out of work. The tradeoff between poverty and progress (as described by the Kuznet curve) is a sustainability concern. The comfortable level of Chinese life has been elevated but the means for achieving that end has harmed the environment. And although the changes in Chinese life are generally categorized as an improvement, respiratory problems are on a rise. It can be difficult to reconcile environmental protection with comfort of living.
4. What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why?
The visual graphics of the realities China faces were the most compelling part. Seeing the smog and car culture in the film scenes was intense. I also felt the part about air pollution traveling across the ocean to the US from China was fascinating. I never really thought about that being realistic, but the film seems to demonstrate that this is fact.
5. What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by?
Shi Lihong’s urge to rationalize her family’s need to buy a car. If people are well aware of the consequences, then why are they still buying cars? Drastic regulatory measures should be taken with dramatically high taxes on cars in order to shock people into understanding the self-inflicted penalties to not only their own health but their country and the planet as a whole.
6. What additional information does this film compel you to seek out? Where do you want to dig deeper and what connections do you want to make with other issues, factors, problems, etc.?
Researching China’s government and comparing it to America’s would give me a basis on which to formulate my ideas of what a role government should play in creating a sustainable world. “China Revs Up” prompts me to seek out further information how China historically feed itself, the changes in structure its government has gone through, and the benefits and drawbacks of engaging in a global economy.
7. What audiences does the film best address? What kind of imagination is fostered in viewers? Do you think the film is likely to change the way viewers think about and act on environmental problems?
Although many of us are aware that China is a large and ever-growing country, it was a good wake up call to see just how much damage is being done with very little objection. The movie urges us that this has been a growing issue for more than 20 years. How could it have possibly gone on this long without being contested?
8. What kinds of action or points of intervention are suggested by the film?
Mass transportation. One of the problems facing the Chinese government they need to “create 50 million new jobs each year.” Creating a clean, safe, coordinated, non-crowded, and expansive public transportation system would employ lots of people and at many different levels of education.
9. What could have been added to this film to enhance its environmental educational value?
Could have been a better experience if I knew more about China’s history. I do not understand how China grew to its current size if it has only 7% of the world’s arable land and if life as a farmer has always been difficult. How come this environmental limitation did not limit the growth of China? Somehow a natural control on population was circumvented and now there are over 1.3 billion Chinese citizens who do not have the local resources to feed their whole population
World in the Balance: China Revs Up, Chris Schmidt, 2004
2. What is the central argument or narrative of the film?
This film argues that China’s economic growth since the 1970s has occurred with little regard for the environment. According to “China Revs Up,” China’s economy currently grows 8% every year. One of their biggest industries is steel production and 75% of the energy they use comes from coal. However, there are no standards in place to regulate the emissions from coal or their growing fleet of cars. The main argument of the film is that China has developed at a fast rate and its environmental legislation and incorporation of new and cleaner technologies has not kept up. Economist Simon Kuznet has predicted that uncontrolled emission often accompany economic growth before becoming controlled. Even if China grows to the point that they are able to control their emissions, the way that they will achieve such a reduction is unknown.
3. What sustainability problems does the film draw out?
4. What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why?
The visual graphics of the realities China faces were the most compelling part. Seeing the smog and car culture in the film scenes was intense. I also felt the part about air pollution traveling across the ocean to the US from China was fascinating. I never really thought about that being realistic, but the film seems to demonstrate that this is fact.
5. What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by?
Shi Lihong’s urge to rationalize her family’s need to buy a car. If people are well aware of the consequences, then why are they still buying cars? Drastic regulatory measures should be taken with dramatically high taxes on cars in order to shock people into understanding the self-inflicted penalties to not only their own health but their country and the planet as a whole.
6. What additional information does this film compel you to seek out? Where do you want to dig deeper and what connections do you want to make with other issues, factors, problems, etc.?
Researching China’s government and comparing it to America’s would give me a basis on which to formulate my ideas of what a role government should play in creating a sustainable world. “China Revs Up” prompts me to seek out further information how China historically feed itself, the changes in structure its government has gone through, and the benefits and drawbacks of engaging in a global economy.
7. What audiences does the film best address? What kind of imagination is fostered in viewers? Do you think the film is likely to change the way viewers think about and act on environmental problems?
Although many of us are aware that China is a large and ever-growing country, it was a good wake up call to see just how much damage is being done with very little objection. The movie urges us that this has been a growing issue for more than 20 years. How could it have possibly gone on this long without being contested?
8. What kinds of action or points of intervention are suggested by the film?
Mass transportation. One of the problems facing the Chinese government they need to “create 50 million new jobs each year.” Creating a clean, safe, coordinated, non-crowded, and expansive public transportation system would employ lots of people and at many different levels of education.
9. What could have been added to this film to enhance its environmental educational value?
Could have been a better experience if I knew more about China’s history. I do not understand how China grew to its current size if it has only 7% of the world’s arable land and if life as a farmer has always been difficult. How come this environmental limitation did not limit the growth of China? Somehow a natural control on population was circumvented and now there are over 1.3 billion Chinese citizens who do not have the local resources to feed their whole population
Citations:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcripts/3109_worldbal.html
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/engineering/article5488962.ece